


Hunted

by nicovasnormandy



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Missing Scene, original timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 15:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20744183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicovasnormandy/pseuds/nicovasnormandy
Summary: “Mileena is dead.”Her breath had stopped. Earthrealm’s transgressions grew ever greater.“By who’s hand?” She had asked. The silence in the chamber stifled even the torchlight which cast Shao Kahn’s already massive shadow into a growing behemoth on the far wall, rising to envelop the ceiling. His crimson eyes bore down upon her.“Her murderer is Princess Kitana,” Shang Tsung—snake smile— spoke, “Traitor to Outworld.”





	Hunted

**Author's Note:**

> Filling in the blanks of Kitana and Jade's story post the original MK2, leading into the events of MK3.

The steep crags surrounding the Imperial Capital had faithfully served in defense of Shao Kahn’s fortress for millennia. The high rising slopes and sharp, frozen peaks were a detriment to even the most feebleminded of rebels. Those foolish enough to attempt the dangerous journey (or test their luck navigating the dark cave system, home to giant spiders and other primordial races who had existed within the bowels of the earth since antiquity) would first have to pass through the perilous, dense sea of trees known only as the Forbidden Forest.

The name was well-earned.

And thus the Imperial Capital was kept free of power plays from the outside. Few had the bravery, or the desire to court death, to contest the divine rule of Shao Kahn. Those who did rarely had the chance to enact on their ill-advised schemes. What small insurgencies had sparked throughout the ages within the capital itself were easily contended with by Shao Kahn’s personal assassins. They were the water tossed over the coals of insurrection before the smoke could raise to the sky.

None who positioned themselves an enemy of Shao Kahn lived.

This is the thought that she couldn’t shake.

Jade perched atop a thick, jutted branch, her left hand pressed firmly against the tree’s trunk for support. She watched stout, multi-legged creatures, around the size of an Outworld child, scuttle between overgrown toadstools oozing a shimmering, gold liquid forty feet below. The vale of trees surrounding her on all sides carried the sounds of the forest and the mysterious creatures who lived within. She listened closely for any sign of danger before propelling herself from the branch and silently landing on another just ten feet ahead. 

She closed her eyes briefly—it had been four days since she’d had a full night’s rest—and once more tried to suppress the thought which slithered into her mind like a corrupted spell: None who positioned themselves an enemy of Shao Kahn lived. It was a rule immutable. 

The caw of a far-off creature resounded through the cradle of the forest. She opened her eyes and moved forward again. Few came to the Forbidden Forest, and fewer returned. She had to continue, no matter what. Her quarry—her _beloved_— had need of her, even if she had not spoken such a need aloud. She landed gracefully a few feet below and maintained balance as she walked toward the end of the branch, crouched down, and then propelled herself to the next tree.

It had been a week since Shao Kahn’s challenge of Mortal Kombat had been met by the warriors of Earthrealm. So much had happened during the days of the tournament, it had felt like a whirlwind upon Outworld which left mass confusion in its wake. With victory going to the Earthrealm champion—the same who defeated Shao Kahn’s most trusted sorcerer Shang Tsung—and Shao Kahn’s defeat, it was as if the rules of the universe had been bent. The Kahn was absolute. He was akin to divinity.

How could he be defeated by a mortal man?

Things only became more complicated with the news of Mileena’s murder. The princesses of Outworld were to engage with the Mortal Kombat tournament on Shao Kahn’s behalf— Mileena as a combatant and Kitana to assassinate the Earthrealm champion who shamed Shang Tsung. Jade was sent as observer and guardian of the princesses—a role familiar to her—but at some point, both women had escaped her watchful eye when it wandered to the battle between her Kahn and those from Earthrealm. Her shame at such a mistake would stay with her for ages to come.

Jade had felt no love for Kitana’s twin; they worked well together and spent much time in one another’s presence, but Mileena lacked the wisdom and presence of her sister. She found herself at odds with Mileena’s aggressive demeanor on multiple occasions, and she had read an underlying sense of disdain for her that Mileena had never voiced. But it mattered not. The news of Mileena’s murder brought both fury and shame to Jade that she had never felt before. Someone had slain a princess of Outworld while Jade’s eye was turned, and at the same time Kitana had gone missing. Jade would never forget how she felt, standing before the Kahn’s massive throne, the man and his sorcerer staring down at her contemptuously from the pedestal on which they stood, their judgment almost a tangible thing on her skin.

_“Mileena is dead.”_

Her breath had stopped. Earthrealm’s transgressions grew ever greater.

“By who’s hand?” She had asked. The silence in the chamber stifled even the torchlight which cast Shao Kahn’s already massive shadow into a growing behemoth on the far wall, rising to envelop the ceiling. His crimson eyes bore down upon her.

“Her murderer is Princess Kitana,” Shang Tsung—snake smile— spoke, “Traitor to Outworld.”

Jade’s world splintered and crashed around her like shards of broken glass.

_Loud buzzing_ emanated from a striped insect with razor sharp pincers. She twisted where she touched down and quickly scaled the trunk to reach a higher vantage point just as the insect landed where she had stood. Its wings were a blur even while perched. It clicked saliva-soaked hairy mandibles together. She waited until it took flight again and the sound it carried joined with the rest of the forest’s symphony.

She shook her head and scaled back to find a better place from where to venture through the awning. Her body felt sluggish from fatigue and the heavy atmosphere of the forest. The Forbidden Forest was not protected from the Imperial Continent’s oppressive heat; the air was wet without a drop a rain, trapped under the treetops, pocketing the forest in a bubble of humidity. As a resident of Outworld for most of her life, she was no stranger to harsh climate, but the lack of time for recuperation and a dwindling supply of water tested even her limits. 

From an early age she’d been taught to always travel light. It was rare for her to carry anything beyond what could fit well on her person: weapons, a flask of water, small wrap of rations, tiny vials of healing salve and explosive dust— useful for an emergency escape. The trek through the frigid mountains had mandated a more thorough collection—a pack holding flint and kindling, rope and an ice-tool—as well as insulated, warm clothing. Most of the excess was left behind at the outskirts of the forest—the heavy pants and pack wrapped in the cloak and quickly hidden in the tangled brush at the base of a tree. Now she traveled with only the essentials, but her resources had grown scarce and she refused to divert her path or risk losing Kitana’s well-hidden trail.

Hunting her beloved was a quell of her appetite, at the very least.

Kitana had been apprehended after the Earthrealmers returned home with their victory and Outworld’s pride. She was remanded to the deepest dungeon beneath the bowels of Shao Kahn’s fortress where she was to await sentencing. Such condemnation necessitated priority—even if there had never been such a thing in all Outworld’s recorded history—but on the eve of Outworld’s defeat, Shao Kahn forewent the rules of Mortal Kombat as dictated by the Elder Gods so many centuries before and planned an outright invasion of Earthrealm. Jade stood silently alongside the Kahn’s most trusted generals and listened to his plan with apprehension, her thoughts straying to Kitana.

_“What of Princess Kitana?”_ Rain asked, as the explanation of the—seemingly mad—plan was lain out. Though none made it obvious, Jade felt eyes fall to her at the question. 

“Kitana will be tried by the High Courts of Outworld, as is our way,” Shao Kahn explained. 

“It will be treason, then. Execution.”

Jade clenched her teeth behind her facemask. 

“Do not worry of it,” Shao Kahn’s voice held the room’s attention. “We have greater concerns.”

The plan to resurrect the lost Queen Sindel—Kitana’s mother—and use the right to claim her soul in Earthrealm as justification to instigate Shao Kahn’s ambition of invasion was intricate and beyond the scope of any operation Jade had participated in before. It was necessary, of course. Those of Earthrealm needed the order Shao Kahn would bring, and another 500 years of Mortal Kombat tournaments was too steep a timetable. The secret art of returning Queen Sindel to life, something Shao Kahn had apparently studied in the ten thousand years since her death, had finally bore fruit, and the timing couldn’t have been more appropriate.

“I had wished to return Sindel to a unified Outworld,” Shao Kahn spoke, “but this will have to do.”

An audience with such an important prisoner could only be made by Shao Kahn’s allowance, but with the magnitude of Kitana’s supposed crimes, Jade knew it would be foolish to make a formal request. Fortunately, she had no need. Most of Jade’s life had been spent in Shao Kahn’s fortress, and she had learned to navigate every nook and secret passage without being seen. She made her way down to the depths of the dungeon like the specters who haunted the bloodstained halls.

In the darkest pit of the dungeon, behind cell walls made of tempered steel, Jade found Kitana. She was still dressed in her tournament attire sans facemask. She had clearly been in a scuffle, but the extent of her injuries was difficult to ascertain in the limited amount of torchlight cast off the far wall. 

“Kitana.” 

“Jade,” Kitana greeted with a lift of her head. “You’ve come to free me?”

“I’m come to talk.”

Kitana took in a breath and straightened her back, “Speak, then.”

“Did you kill Mileena?”

It was to the point. They didn’t have time to play games, and if this was all a misunderstanding, if Kitana could plead innocence to her at this moment, she would never doubt her on the matter again. She would speak directly to Shao Kahn on her behalf and plead for her pardon.

“Yes.”

Jade held her silence for a long time. There was no way to put the discourse of her mind into words except to ask, “Why?”

“She attacked me. I defended myself.”

“Why would she attack you?” Jade asked, perplexed. “What would she gain from attacking her sister?”

“She is _not_ my sister.” 

They fell into silence again. Hearing such vitriol in Kitana’s voice, the unease between them, it felt completely alien. She was at a loss.

“Please, explain.”

Kitana granted her request. It was a tale fit for a story book, completely outside the realm of any possibility: Shao Kahn was not Kitana’s true father, but an invader from another realm. Edenia had once been a beautiful realm all to itself, and Kitana the sole princess, but Shao Kahn led an invasion and engaged Edenia in Mortal Kombat. After ten successful tournaments, Edenia was merged with Outworld. Edenia was decimated, and King Jerrod—Kitana’s true father—murdered. Queen Sindel was forced to be Shao Kahn’s bride, but after learning of his ambition to further subjugate the realms, with Earthrealm being his next target, she killed herself to enact a powerful ward which would keep Shao Kahn from manifesting in Earthrealm proper—making his only option for conquest ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments. Kitana was then made to believe that Shao Kahn was her true father. Mileena, not truly related by blood, was a creature made of Shang Tsung’s vile magics—part Kitana and part Tarkatan; a creature meant to usurp Kitana at Shao Kahn’s side.

Jade listened to the tale with bewilderment. When Kitana was through, the silence returned, heavier than before.

“You don’t believe me,” Kitana said at last.

“It is…” Jade couldn’t finish her thought.

“You are rarely without the right words.”

“There are no words for what you’ve told me.”

“I have never lied to you before.”

“Not a lie, no.” Jade considered her next words carefully. “This story—which you apparently have known for some time—is something you’ve never thought to mention to me before.”

“I did not want to burden you with it.”

“Your burdens are mine,” Jade scoffed. “You know that. You didn’t trust me.”

“Do _you_ trust me?” 

“I trust you over all else, but I fear the Earthrealmers have somehow affected you.”

“Shao Kahn said the same thing,” Kitana said ruefully.

“Your father—” 

“He is _not_ my father. He is a usurper and must be punished.”

“Hush!” Jade gripped the bars tightly. “Speak that way and—”

“Oh, what? Will Shao Kahn have me thrown into the dungeon?” Kitana moved her arms to indicate her surroundings. Jade could make out a cut on her forearm still dried with blood. “With such a pitiful loss in his desired decisive Mortal Kombat, Shao Kahn has no further means of which to merge the realms. Even if he were to invade, he could never step foot on Earthrealm soil. He will forever be denied his absolute victory.”

“The Emperor is planning a merger of Earthrealm as we speak.”

Kitana paused. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “What?”

“Shang Tsung has found a way.”

“That’s impossible. Merging without ten consecutive victories in Mortal Kombat breeches the rules established by the Elder Gods. Not even Shao Kahn could be so foolish.”

Jade bit back the scolding retort on the tip of her tongue. “The Emperor has found a loophole in the Elder God’s plans.”

“And what did he find?”

Jade hesitated, for just a moment. “It involves your mother, Kitana.”

“What does he intend to do?” Kitana’s hands balled into fists. Her face twisted in anger. “She died in Earthrealm, and he cannot touch her there. He told us how he intended to use his victory against the Earthrealmers to cross the barrier between the realms and use his Shadow Priests to revive her. He _failed_.”

“There’s another way.”

Kitana stared at her through the bars. Her gaze was piercing, as sharp as her battle fans. Jade met it with her own even stare.

“I don’t understand the specifics, but Shang Tsung has called Queen Sindel’s soul here. To Outworld. Her soul must be returned to her body, and as her husband, Shao Kahn has the right to reunite them.”

“Where the body is,” Kitana shook her head, fury and fear twisting her face in equal measure. 

“That’s right. With your mother’s soul, Shao Kahn can travel to Earthrealm.”

_Smoke_.

Jade cursed herself for falling into reverie again. Below her a rabbit failed to escape a wild canine, its cries disturbing a flock of birds roosting on a nearby tree. She pushed herself flat against the trunk to avoid being taken by a mass of beating wings and sharp beaks. Once past, she grounded herself back in the present. 

The smell of the smoke reached her even through the thin fabric of her facemask. She discerned the area it came from and scouted out for signs of a fire from above. It took a few minutes for her to find anything amiss. Quietly, to not disturb the wildlife, she descended to the ground of the forest. She moved through the brush without rustling the leaves, her footfalls completely soundless as to not alert the forest to her intrusion.

It was the remnants of a camp, hastily covered in leaves and dirt. It wasn’t the worst attempt she’d ever witnesses, but she held Kitana to a higher standard than this shoddy job before her and she doubted someone else was keen to make camp so deep in the Forbidden Forest. Kitana had been there, and from what Jade could survey, it had only been a few hours ago at most.

“What have you found?”

Jade fought the urge to jerk in surprise and turned her attention to the canopy of branches above. Over head the air shimmered before the form of her compatriot, Reptile, melted into sight. It had almost slipped her mind they had been sent on the mission together. Reptile was the Emperor’s master of stealth, and outside of a few brief appearances, he had been absent for their journey.

Reptile perched on all fours, steadying himself on a heavy branch with his hands. He peered down at her with strange yellow eyes. Though he looked human to the naked eye, Jade knew it was only a glamor to hide his true form. She could see the small patches of scales between his green uniform and black, fingerless gloves. 

“Remnants of a camp,” Jade answered. 

“Kitana was here?”

“Most likely.”

“Good. We are almost upon her,” Reptile straightened his back but did not rise. The look in his eyes was the same as the canine who tore the rabbit to shreds.

“It appears so. We should keep moving.”

“You will apprehend her?”

“It is Shao Kahn’s command.”

“Stay true to our master,” Reptile warned. “I am watching.” 

His body faded from view, the air changing as he moved in his cloaked state and became lost among the sea of trees. She held the anxious feeling that rumbled from the pit of her stomach at bay and cast a forlorn glance at the ramshackle camp site. It appeared she was being followed as much as Kitana. She wasn’t a fool— She knew Shao Kahn was testing her loyalty, and Reptile was his ever-faithful watchdog. Her only option was to meet the Emperor’s expectations or face his wrath at his servant’s hands. She shook her head with an angry scoff. 

_“Kitana has escaped.”_

Jade’s heart leapt in her chest.

Shao Kahn never lacked in presence. He was as fearsome as he was powerful, a tower of a man made of muscle and magic and authority. His crimson eyes, like embers set in the grooves of his skull helm, looked upon the small assembly with disdain. Jade refused to shift beneath his withering glare—nor the scowl worn by his sorcerous advisor.

Jade had been summoned alongside Rain and Baraka. Rain’s reaction was as subdued as Jade’s own, partly due to wearing a facemask just as she did. If he felt surprise it did not show in his eyes. Baraka, however, seethed with enough fury for them both.

“How can she escape? First, she killed Mileena, then—”

“I am well aware of Kitana’s alleged transgressions, Baraka.”

The tarkatan’s toothy maw snapped shut even as his hands tightened into trembling fists. Shao Kahn looked from Baraka to Rain and then finally settled his burning stare on Jade.

“Jade, had you any idea of Kitana’s plan?”

“No, my Emperor.”

“Is that so…?” Shang Tsung crossed his arms and leered at her. She had not grown accustomed to his newly reclaimed youth. The haughty expression wore by the young man before her did not fit his face. “You were the last to seek audience with the princess before her escape. Are we to truly believe you had no hand in this latest testament of betrayal?”

There was always a risk her rendezvous with Kitana would have been discovered, but she had thought her cautiousness had secured their discretion. She felt Rain’s eyes slide to her and, briefly, wondered if he had somehow learned of their meeting.

“I wished to speak with Princess Kitana to hear for myself of her crime,” she knelt to the floor and prostrated herself before the dais which held the Emperor’s throne. There was no use denying her actions. Doing so would only court a greater punishment. Shao Kahn was not celebrated for his leniency. “I knew not of any plan of escape. I ask for forgiveness.”

“What a request! You truly—”

“Enough, Shang Tsung.” Shao Kahn interrupted. “Rise, Jade.”

She did as commanded and met the Emperor’s steadfast gaze without backing down.

“Kitana’s betrayal strikes hard at us all. This, however, cannot stand. Kitana must return and face my judgment.”

Jade stared forward.

“Prove yourself loyal to Shao Kahn and Outworld. Bring Kitana back to me,” Shao Kahn watched her closely, as if he could discern her loyalty from his gaze alone. “She must be punished according to our law… but convince her to return willingly and I will show her mercy she did not give her sister.”

She heard Kitana’s sneer of ‘_a Tarkatan monster_’ in her mind.

Baraka’s fists were still tightly clenched.

“Her love of you is known to us all.” Shao Kahn stepped from the dais to stand before them in one movement. Even on the same level he towered over her. “If any one can bring her to her senses, it will be you.”

Jade nodded her head in understanding. Kitana was many wonderful things: kind, fierce, wise. She was also stubborn and prideful. Convincing her that her newfound conviction was wrong would be a difficult task, but the offer of mercy was too great an opportunity to pass. It was a miracle from Shao Kahn, and Jade could only assume it was because he truly did love his daughter. Kitana had been misled somehow, and she had strayed from the path of the righteous. It was Jade’s duty to save her from herself. 

“Reptile,” Shao Kahn called over his shoulder. The air behind the throne shimmered and moved, almost reflecting torchlight, then spread to reveal the green-clad warrior. Jade had not known he was in attendance, but as he was often within Shao Kahn’s shadow she could have guessed. “You will go with Jade.”

“My lord—” she began but halted when he raised a hand. 

“The Emperor has seen fit to provide you a companion to make your mission that much easier. Don’t insult his generosity.” Shang Tsung smirked his snake-smile. Something deceitful flickered in his eyes that Jade did not like. 

“Of course,” she bowed. “I will bring Kitana back to her senses and return her to you, Shao Kahn.”

“I will be waiting… as will Kitana’s mother. Bring our daughter back. Do not fail us.”

_A flicker of blue_ in the distance caught Jade’s attention. She swung from a thin branch and landed in a crouch beneath the shadow of a giant bird’s nest made of twigs and vine. Her eyes narrowed and she diverted course, through a hanging labyrinth of wiggling moss and then dropped soundlessly to the earth below. An unnatural breeze pushed through the twisted thicket ahead and cooled her damp skin. Her fingers tingled from the sensation of familiar magic.

Carefully she climbed through the thicket, mindful of the razor-sharp briars capable of easily cutting through her flesh. It took concentration to move through the mess silent and unscathed, but she was both driven and limber in excess. Minutes later and she reached the edge of the underbrush. The breeze picked up, an almost cold complete change in temperature from the rest of the forest. The magic grew stronger in the air and buzzed over her arms and into her ears and sent gentle, comforting tremors through her skull. 

A swirling vortex of magical energy filled the far side of the grove beyond. It was a portal to another realm. Their usage was forbidden without the Emperor’s direct approval, and their magic difficult to harness for all but the most powerful of sorcerers—at least without the aid of specially designed runestones. 

More important than the violation of Outworld law was the figure who stood in front of the it, poised to step through and into the unknown. 

“Kitana!”

Her quarry turned around at the sound of her voice as she climbed through the wall which separated them. Kitana had found time to change from her tournament attire to something more convenient for the harsh journey, the royal blue fabric what Jade had glimpsed from a distance. Her brows drew together in surprise.

“You followed me.” 

Jade knew she would have to approach the situation carefully. With her hands held up to show she meant no harm, she purposefully kept her stance neutral. 

“Kitana, we need to talk.”

“Talk, then. I’m listening.”

“I’m not here to fight.” In the thousands of years they had known one another they rarely argued, even as children. Of course, they’d never been in a situation of this magnitude before. The tension between them was unbearable.

“You’re not here to aid me, either.”

“I’m always on your side. You know that.”

“I do,” Kitana hesitated. “I know.”

“If you return of your own free will the Emperor will show you leniency.” 

Kitana threw her head back and laughed. “Mercy? From Shao Kahn, tyrant of Outworld? I’d sooner believe Baraka learned proper table etiquette.”

“He told me so himself.”

“So he can maneuver with the proper utensils?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Shao Kahn is a liar.”

“If—”

“_Shao Kahn_ created Mileena. He used twisted magic and Shang Tsung’s vile sorcery and made her _from_ me. She was never my sister. She was my successor. That is the man Shao Kahn is.”

Jade stepped forward; brow furrowed. “Where is your proof?”

“My word is proof!” Kitana snapped. “Mileena’s _face_ is proof. There is a reason she never took her veil down around us. Not even I, her supposed sister, had ever seen her face uncovered. I told you before, I learned the truth some time ago. I knew Shao Kahn was not what he presented. I had no idea of Mileena until she revealed herself to me. Until her attempt to _silence_ me. She told me everything and confirmed my suspicions.”

“And Mileena attacked you because she discovered you were consorting with those from Earthrealm.”

“Then you understand why I must do this. Shao Kahn must pay for his transgressions against Edenia.”

Kitana’s words of treason hung in the space between them. They held each other’s gaze until a rush of cold air unexpectedly emanated from the portal. It made the wet heat of the forest beyond the grove feel like part of another world. Jade watched the light twist and slither in the air, the magic rolling in thick waves. At the base of the portal, partially embedded in the dirt and mud, was a tarnished runestone emanating an azure light from the glyph etched on the face. 

That explained the how.

“Where does this portal lead?” The newfound brisk air made her think of the mountains. When she didn’t’ receive an immediate response, she hazarded an educated guess. “Going to Earthrealm?”  
“And if I was?”

“What do you intend to do there?”

“What business is it of yours?”

“Kitana, it’s me,” Jade pulled her facemask down. “I want to help you.”

“You’re here on Shao Kahn’s orders. You stand on the wrong side,” Kitana reluctantly pulled her facemask down as well. “You can’t help me from there.”

“The ceremony to revive Queen Sindel has probably already begun,” Jade said. She hazarded a tentative step closer. Kitana did not react. “If it is a success and she returns to us, are you so sure of your own conviction to potentially stand as her enemy?”

“My mother was no wife to Shao Kahn. She was his enemy, just as I am. She would never willingly bend her knee to him. It’s why she died in the first place. He may try to corrupt her mind with his wicked magic, I can’t say. But I know she will not stand at his side of her own free will.”

“…What will you do?”

“I’ll save her.” Kitana’s mouth tightened in a determined line. “I’ll slay Shao Kahn and restore Edenia.”

“That’s… a lofty goal.” Jade couldn’t help a rueful smile. “You’ll need help.”

“I’ll have it. I’ll inform Lord Raiden’s Earthrealm warriors, and the Mortal Kombat champion Liu Kang, of Shao Kahn’s treachery. I will not let him treat Earthrealm the way he did beloved Edenia. I will find allies, and then I will build an army.”

“An army,” Jade echoed softly. She stepped closer, and this time Kitana tensed but before she could act Jade was within an arm’s length. She reached out and gently rubbed her fingers across Kitana’s smooth cheek. The dark-haired princess leaned in to the touch with half-lidded eyes. “Does you army have room for one more?”

“To turn against Shao Kahn means death,” Kitana said. “Didn’t you believe I was under some insidious influence?”

“It was a possibility. If you are, it’s deeply rooted in your heart… but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Does anyone know you as well as I do?” Jade chuckled to herself and drew closer until their bodies pressed together. “You have had claim to my heart for centuries. I might just be a fool, but I believe you.”

“You are no fool, Jade.” Kitana reached out and pulled the other woman into an intimate embrace. “In truth, I am relieved… I feel far more confident with you at my side.”

The tension was gone, replaced by something familiar and warm. Not even the breath of the cold could thaw what they held between them. Relief flooded Jade’s entire body and made her almost lightheaded. She laughed quietly.

“What?” Kitana leaned back enough so she could see the other woman’s face.

“I’ve been ruled by fear for the future these past few days,” Jade shook her head with a wistful smile. “It’s only now, when I’m ready to declare everything I’ve ever known a lie and make an enemy of the most powerful man in all the realms, that I suddenly feel at peace. I must be insane.”

“Some say insanity is contagious,” Kitana smirked. “I suppose you’ve been too close to me for your own good.”

“That must be it,” Jade said. She reluctantly separated from Kitana entirely and took stock of the portal behind them. “Where does this lead?”

“If all goes well, the mountains near the temple Liu Kang calls home.”

“The Champion. Starting with him instead of the Thunder God?”

“I met him during the false tournament,” Kitana turned to the portal as well, “I believe he will be a steadfast ally.”

“The mortal who defeated Shao Kahn,” Jade mused. “Just what adventure are you taking us on now?”

“We’re going to do what is right.” Kitana confirmed, “What we were born to do.”

The crack of something overhead snapped their attention away from the portal and to the clearing. The air moved strangely in front of them before it shimmered, and Reptile materialized before them. Jade grit her teeth. She couldn’t believe he had slipped her mind.

“What you were _born_ to do is obey the will of Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld!” Reptile hissed. His arms were up, fingers splayed out. His entire stance reeked of aggression. 

“You were followed?” Kitana scoffed, “How sloppy, Jade.”

“I wasn’t followed. Well, not exactly. I knew he was around.”

“And you decided not to mention it?”

“I suppose it’s a lot like when you didn’t tell me of your discovery of your past until the last, absolute, and worst moment. It slipped my mind.”

“You’re really going to compare the two?” Kitana’s eyebrows shot up. 

“As it suits me, sure.”

“I’ll never hear the end of this,” Kitana sighed and pulled her mask back over her nose. Jade laughed and followed suit.

“No, I expect you won’t.”

“You dare make light of your treason?” Reptile snapped, “Shao Kahn was right not to trust you, Jade! You are a _snake_.”

“Irony, thy name is Reptile,” Jade entered a battle stance. The magic in the glen had revitalized her slightly, but the toll of her journey would most assuredly affect her battle performance. If she was fortunate, Reptile’s own lack of rest would similarly impede him. And, she thought as Kitana withdrew her battle fans and snapped them open in a stance at her side, she was not alone.

“I’ll melt the flesh from your bones and take what’s left as an offering for our Emperor!”

“I suppose Shao Kahn had no intention of sparing me. How unexpected.” Kitana said dryly. Jade shook her head.

“I was desperate. Blame me for hoping for a miracle.”

“From this point on we make out own miracles.”

Jade grinned beneath her mask, “If that’s your order, I have no choice but to obey.”

“Stop ignoring me!” Reptile roared and leapt from his spot with unmatched speed. The Edenians barely evaded the attack by separating, and without a second of hesitation Reptile selected Jade as his target and pursued. It made sense, Jade thought as she blocked Reptile’s blow, he had likely watched her through their travels and knew she would not be at her best. He assumed she was the weak link. He was wrong, but she understood where he might have come under the impression.

With a solid kick to his stomach, Jade was able to gain enough ground to retrieve her pole. She swung it before her and caught Reptile in the throat when it extended in length. He staggered back and his rear met with Kitana’s heeled boot. With a hiss he flung himself in the air and far overhead. He landed in a crouch across from the portal and rushed forward again, the glamor on his fingers fading and revealing ebony talons.

Jade swung her pole, but his speed was greater and he slunk beneath her strike to slash her stomach. She cried out and fell to the ground when he swung his leg out to take her feet out from beneath her. The twisted briars of the canopy and blue wisps of magic blurred together as she landed on her back. A second later and the sight was replaced with Reptile’s malice-filled yellow glare. He straddled her and brought his right hand down, talons extended, to take out her eyes. With a grunt she managed to use her arm, which he had neglected to pin down, to smash the pole into the side of his face. 

The blow stopped his attack and forced green colored blood out of the corner of his mouth but wasn’t hard enough to remove him. Kitana took care of that instead: she gripped the back of his uniform and hoisted him backwards. He twisted and slashed at the air behind him, but she moved out of his range before any of his attacks could connect. He flipped to his feet and wasted no time rushing her down. She clashed her fans together and channeled magic through her hands and into her weapons with an ancient Edenian incantation. Right as Reptile leapt to attack, she flurried her hands in the air in front of her, summoning a gust of wind and tossing him into the air.

He flailed and tried to grab an overhanging branch but missed. He barely caught himself in a crouch when he handed, a low rattle of fury coming from his throat. Kitana took the offensive, standing between him and the recovering Jade. “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Jade used her pole to help her reach her feet and gently prodded at her stomach. “It’s just a flesh wound.”

“It will be far more than that. Give me some time,” Reptile threatened. 

“I’m out of time _and_ patience. Let us end this farce now,” Kitana said.

“As you command, _Princess_.” Reptile rushed her down and the two engaged in a mix of blows and parries. Reptile was far faster, but his rage made his attacks easier to anticipate. Kitana took blow after blow, but she was able to counterattack in far more meaningful strikes—deep gashes into his arms and chest and a deep puncture in his clavicle which almost put an end to his assault.

Galvanized with a second wind, Jade joined Kitana in the fray. Together they clearly outmatched him, and when the trio separated the earth beneath their feet was wet with green blood. Kitana and Jade held their fair share of bruises, but they stood in far better shape than their aggressor. Reptile ripped his mask off to reveal a misshapen mouth and sharp, pointed teeth. The skin around his lips had darkened green. He lashed his tongue out in between heavy breaths.

Just when it seemed he might concede, his drew his hands together in a quick motion and shot forth a gelatinous green ball of energy. Kitana moved to the side, while Jade called upon Edenian magic and surrounded herself in a shield of amethyst light. Reptile’s magic was separated and slipped around her like water, the power of her spell far stronger than his own. He wasn’t given time to react to the failure before one of Kitana’s bladed fans wheeled through the air and caught him in the chest. It circled five or six times, cutting through the light chest wear and into his skin, before it vanished it a wisp of blue magic. Reptile stumbled back, dazed, then collapsed to the ground.

Jade waited a few moments, then stepped tentatively across the clearing to where Reptile lay. She crouched down, hand steady on her pole, and gave him a cursory examination. “It seems that’s the end of it.”

“I would say so,” Kitana waved her arms and made her fans disappear. “Reptile bought off more than he could handle.”

“What do you want to do with him?”

Kitana approached the portal. She watched the lights blend together mesmerizingly. “Leave him.”

“You don’t want to finish him?”

“…No.” Kitana turned her head to her, a hand on her hip. “The Earthrealmers practice compassion for their enemy. If we wish to be accepted among them, we must learn to abide by their rules.”

“A wise choice,” Jade stood and crossed the space between them, “So long as it doesn’t lead to Reptile coming back and murdering us in our sleep.”

The fabric of Kitana’s mask shifted with her smile, “A risk I’m willing to take.”

“Oh, I’m not concerned.” Jade grinned, “I just thought it was something to be aware of.”

“And so we are.”

“Well, excellent then.”

The two fell into silence and gazed at the portal that would lead them from Outworld and into the unknown of Earthrealm, to people Kitana barely knew and Jade had never met, who would hopefully be amenable to becoming allies in the impossible fight against the divine Shao Kahn. Crossing through would be the final step of their mutiny. There was no going back.

“Are you sure?” Kitana asked.

“Not entirely,” Jade admitted. “But I’m coming with you anyway.”

Kitana reached for her hand and Jade took it. Their fingers intertwined. 

“Thank you, Jade.”

Jade gently squeezed her hand in reply. They stood quietly for a few more moments, then Kitana released her hand and faced her. “Let us go.”

She turned and stepped into the blue lights, her body vanishing into the ether. Jade took a deep, steadied breath, and enjoyed the cool air blowing in from an alien world. Then, she stepped into the blue light and followed her beloved into the unknown.


End file.
